What You Should Know Before You Buy Infant Formula Online

From comforters to bottles, diapers, and toys, there’s no limit to the items you can buy for your baby online, and infant formula is no exception. While buying your baby’s food with the click of a mouse may sound appealing, buyer beware. With numerous types of baby formula available worldwide, it can be hard to know what to pick, which is why experts say it’s important to do your homework to avoid unsafe or counterfeit options.

“Because your baby’s health and well-being are crucial, please take the time to do your research before ordering formula online. Failure to do so could severely impact your baby’s life,” advises Gwenneth Simmonds, PhD, CNM in Atlanta.

Things to Know When Buying Online

What’s in a name? Plenty, when you’re deciding what formula to buy for your baby. Experts recommend picking a trusted brand name when it comes to both the formula and the online store.

“First you want to make sure that it’s a reputable brand that you’re buying; that it’s one that you’ve heard about, a big company. Secondly, you want to buy it from a reputable source,” notesDaniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

Both of those factors, especially buying from a source you’re familiar with, can help stave off the possibility of getting a counterfeit or knock-off formula. Even if you use a source you trust, like Amazon or eBay, you still have to vet the individual seller. In a 2018 report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office noted that when it purchased close to 50 items from third-party sellers on “popular consumer websites”, almost half of the items were counterfeit.

If you’re thinking of getting formula that is not from a name-brand manufacturer, Dr. Ganjian recommends running it by yourpediatricianto get insight on whether it’s a good formula to consider.

It's important to pick an FDA-approved formula. The FDA sets limits for the 29 nutrients it requires in formula.Formulas that are not sold in the United States, but sent from overseas, do not need FDA approval, and therefore, may not have proper levels of these nutrients.

Red Flags

If all the factors check out and you proceed with ordering the formula online, be on the lookout for these red flags.

Examine the color and smell of theformula. If something seems off, don’t risk giving it to your baby. You should also look at the "use-by" date, to make sure it hasn’t been tampered with or covered up. Discounted formula sold online may be very close to or past the use-by date.

“有效使用期日期要求FDA确保the formula contains the minimum quantity of each ingredient listed and the quality is acceptable for consumption. Formula should not be used after the use-by date,” states Dr. Simmonds.

Lastly, if a deal on infant formula seems too good to be true, it probably is.

"If anybody’s selling it very cheap, you have to ask yourself, why are they selling it so cheap,” Dr. Ganjian notes.

Resources

Several organizations list information that can prove helpful if you’re buying formula online or in stores. TheFDAhas a page of Frequently Asked Questions that can serve as a resource describing what to look for when buying baby formula.清洁标签项目provides information aboutfoodand quality safety, including infant formula. A number of well-known formula manufacturers also include nutritional information about their products, and some have costs listed, to give you an idea of what to expect to pay for it.

Buying infant formula from the comfort of your home is definitely an attractive option, as long as you shop wisely.

“Buying online can be convenient, but [you] need to proceed with caution and deal with reputable companies,” Dr. Simmonds concludes.